A new publication from BankTrack, the NGO network monitoring the private financial sector, seeks to answer the straightforward question; «what does a really sustainable bank look like?». The publication «The Do's and Don’ts of Sustainable Banking; a BankTrack manual» follows the outline of the Collevecchio Declaration, released in 2003, which calls upon financial institutions to embrace six commitments (to Sustainability, to Do No Harm, to Responsibility, Accountability, Transparency, and Sustainable Markets and Governance).
The new manual should be seen as the updated implementation guidelines to the Collevechio Declaration, incorporating the latest thinking and expectations of civil society groups on the subject.
It contains a wealth of advice for banks on how to get their house in order, going far beyond what banks now consider as ‘being sustainable’.Amongst other things it argues that becoming a truly sustainable bank requires no less than a change in the overall mission of the institution, to include wider sustainability goals.

A Bank Track Manual